Trade Exhibitors

Conference Venue

2015 Mackay HPE Conference

Mackay HPE Conference

"The Learner in HPE"

With the conference theme of The learner in HPE, flowing through all the presentations, HPE educators in Central Queensland enjoyed thought provoking day of professional learning. Access the presentations that our speakers have shared via the links below. The conference handbook is also available for download or view here.

Overview

Our first conference in Mackay proved to be a massive success, with over 40 delegates in attendance. The theme of the conference: ‘The learner in HPE” was embodied in each of the conference sessions and keynote presentations, with a number of useful tips for HPE advocacy and pedagogical strategies proposed.

The day began examining recent developments in the Health and physical education arena, including the release and implementation of the Australian Curriculum. By drawing on local experience regarding Curriculum implementation, ACHPER president Benjamin Williams was able to facilitate a thought provoking session, enabling teachers to consolidate their knowledge.

The middle sessions began with a workshop on designing effective Assessment, where Alyssa Beaufoy presented teachers with a model for effective Assessment. Teachers were given opportunities to analyse one of their tasks to determine whether it was ‘fit for purpose’ in aligning with the Australian Curriculum or Senior syllabus. The next sessions facilitated a divide into Primary and Secondary schooling, with Sue Whatman providing examples of how the Titans Learning Centre has customized the Australian Curriculum for year 3-4 classrooms and Adrian Brandon providing some helpful hints for gathering video evidence for verification. These sessions were followed by a presentation from Meg McNamara, presenting finding from the Central Queensland Sporting schools trial, aiming to increase physical activity levels amongst primary students. Her ice breaker ‘whole body rock, paper, scissors’ was a particular favourite with delegates.

In the final segment of the day, Troy Meston from Griffith University presented his current research findings analyzing the role of embedding traditional indigenous games into physical activity lessons. This session culminated with a practical workshop, where delegates were able to physically participate in Indigenous games and explore the embedding framework In, through and about. The conference closed with an advocacy session designed to identify issues to promotion of physical activities in schools and provide some strategies for advocating for physical education within the school environment.

Keynote Presenter | Ben Williams

ACHPER QLD

Ben Williams is a Lecturer in Health and Physical Education in the School of Education and Professional Studies at Griffith University. He has an undergraduate degree with honours in Human Movement Studies (Education) and a PhD from The University of Queensland. Before completing his PhD and joining Griffith University, Ben was a secondary school health and physical education teacher at The Gap State High School in Brisbane.

Ben will be presenting on the topic "In, about and through movement - Integration in Health and Physical Education"

Within teaching and learning in Senior Physical Education in Queensland, physical activity becomes the medium for learning, as well as a source of data (Queensland Studies Authority, 2010). This has been described by Arnold (1985) as learning in, about and through physical activity. Similarly, the Australian Curriculum – Health and Physical Education shares a related view, with Valuing movement (ACARA, 2014) as one of the key propositions that underpin teaching and learning.

Keynote Presenter | Troy Meston

Lecturer, Griffith University

Troy Meston is a current Doctoral Candidate with Griffith University, writing in the area of Aboriginal Water and Indigenous research methodology. He also works in Griffith University’s School of Education and Professional Studies teaching Indigenous Studies in education. Previous to his role in university, Troy worked for the Australian Institute of Sport as a talent identifier and mentor to Aboriginal athletes on a pathway toward the Beijing and London Olympics. Specifically in the area of Indigenous games Troy has completed two major projects with the Australian Sports Commission, the first was the research, consultation and production of the Yulunga resource and then the production of an Indigenous version of the Sports Ability initiative, a para-Olympic program designed for children through all ranges of ability.

Troy will present on "The Role of Embedding in HPE – Traditional Indigenous Games Informing our Future Together"

The key note and practical engagement session will tie together the legacy of the Yulunga resource and the current landscape which informs Indigenous participation, content and issues inside the framework of school in the Queensland context. The keynote will build from current National policies which inform Indigenous presence inside school programs and highlight EATSIPS (2011), a Queensland initiative that demonstrates how to engage respectfully and effectively with Indigenous content inside your classes. Through the key note discussion some basic principles of embedding will be highlighted, which are affirmed from being informed locally, building strategically upon a collective and shared sense of Australian history. From this context, the Yulunga resource will be demonstrated, through practical engagement, as a vehicle that naturally facilitates opportunities to apply the principles of the embedding framework, in, about and through HPE..